Isaiah 61:1-3
Psalm 23
II Corinthians 4:16-5:9
Psalm 121
John 14:1-6

Where do you even begin? There is so much to say—where do you even begin? I think the hiking stick will show us the way. Symbol of the journey, which is what Loren always understood life to be. This hiking stick was given to him on his 80th birthday. It is an exquisite piece containing the outlines of Loren’s life journey. His Scottish heritage, travels through education, and military tours; Sarah, his life partner, his children, and grandchildren; the bed-and-breakfast, SPAM, train travels, New Zealand; and his beloved Episcopal church—they are all here. And then, after the fashion of Loren's style, his children added short phrases to capture who they knew their father to be. They capture who we know Loren to be too: "Loving and Generous Father," "Hike Master," "Leave No Trace—Outdoor Ethics," "A Man Animated by Curiosity," "Strong Sense of What Is Right," "Good Friend to Many," "Wisdom,"" Well Respected," "Life Long Partner."

And I would add..."One Committed to the Way" which is always bigger and broader than we ever dare to dream. Loren always had a way of pointing us to the Way that would always help us to see the whole.

That commitment to the whole was made manifest in his desire always to build bridges, whether it be in matters of race, or bridging the theoretical and practical when it came to forming medical students, or the work he did here in our parish, quietly and visibly, to help us see another's point of view. He is, and I doubt I am alone in this, he is undoubtedly the wisest man I have ever been privileged to know. And he shared his wisdom generously and concisely, and I don't know many people who can do both.

The lessons the family chose for today really do capture Loren's life, his essence, his energies, and his journey. The psalms are filled with images of the journey. The 23^rd psalm takes us through green pastures, beside still waters, and through the valley of the shadow of death—never fearing, always trusting that there is One guiding you every step of the way—Loren knew that journey well. Psalm 121 draws our eyes to the hills that Loren loved and reminds us that God will not let our foot be moved—Loren would have known from a lifetime of hiking just what the psalmist meant.

Isaiah 61 captures the passion for justice that animated Loren. His integrity was unparalleled, as was his heart for justice. The oppressed, the brokenhearted, the captive—these held a special place in Loren's heart. An oak of righteousness is an apt description of Loren—strong, sturdy, solid—who else would be capable of wearing shorts on a day like today?

A little over a year ago, we blessed our elders here at St. Luke's. It was our first time to do this ritual and as a part of that process, we had our elders write "This I Believe Statements" just like the program on National Public Radio. Here's Loren's. Of course, he took the title, reflected on it, and changed it ever so slightly to reflect more accurately what he thought it needed to be for him. If you can, close your eyes and hear his voice. Here's Loren's "This I Believe Statement."

July 2007
IN THESE THINGS I BELIEVE

GOD
It took me a long time to move away from the image of God I took away from early Baptist Sunday School days—an old man sitting up in the sky.

This is where I am today. God is the God of love, of a baby's smile. God is the God of mustard seeds, black holes and of all the laws of the universe, those known and those yet unknown. God is not bound by our rules—logic, grammar, etc. Pronouns of any kind or gender hardly fit. God chose to become more personally known to us through Jesus—who was and is fully human and fully divine.

FAMILY
Find yourself a lifelong partner. Make sure that partner has room to grow and change. You will need similar space. Make sure that communication channels are always open and used. Sometimes this is hard work, but the rewards are immense. May you be blessed with children.

PERSONAL RITUALS
Find those things that are deeply satisfying to you and provide space for them. I have three.

Early morning coffee when the house is still, quiet and dark (except for the glow from the stove in winter). A time for daily prayers—and soft classical music.

An early morning walk.

A nap after lunch.

INSIGHTS
I believe that wisdom can be packed in small chunks—pungent, witty, disturbing, provocative.

Loren then goes on to list several of his favorite quotes from the likes of Mark Twain, C.S. Lewis, Al Capone, a Hindu proverb, The Vedas, and others, but my favorites are the ones he ascribed to himself.

"Alexander did not untie the Gordian knot, he cut it."
"Questions may be more important than answers."
and
"Love is a renewable resource."

It is certainly true that you can see the measure of a man in the legacy his life leaves behind—and Loren's is immense, as given witness by our presence here today. But in some ways the culmination of his life came in how he walked the journey of the last 15 days of his life. Every day, Loren showed us how to live, but Loren also showed us how to die. Loren could completely trust that he would know the way of which Jesus spoke because Loren had always been on the way. Loren knew the Way, the Truth, and the Life intimately, and when it came time to embrace this last journey, he could trust that he would find his way.

He showed us what it means to yield, to relinquish, to let go, with grace. Qualities he had spent a lifetime cultivating. When Loren arrived at Steve's house on December 27th, having just left Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem, I will never forget him pulling Steve to him and saying, "I am 81 years old and still learning. Last night I realized that I had to ask for what I wanted, and I wanted to come here." 81 years old and still curious about the process, still learning, still looking for new insights and understandings—could anything be more Loren than that?
He said that what happened to him that night before in making the decision to come home and embrace the vocation of dying was a miracle. He looked at me and said, "It's amazing," and there wasn't an ounce of anxiety anywhere in his being.

He then completely turned himself over to the care of his family, not always an easy transition to make when you have been the oak, but he did it, and he did it gracefully, and his family responded with like amounts of grace. I don't think the images from II Corinthians have ever described more clearly what occurred the last days of Loren’s life. "An outer nature wasting away, an inner nature being renewed day by day," growing ever stronger. "A slight momentary affliction preparing him for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure" that now is his. "An earthly tent in which he groaned, longing to be further clothed." Knowing, trusting that what was "mortal" was about to be "swallowed up by LIFE." He did this "walk" as I imagine he did many, "by faith, not by sight." Indeed, Loren labored, and indeed, he has been born into a glorious life beyond our imagining.

There is a wonderful story in II Kings when Elijah is getting ready to depart from Elisha. Elisha is struggling with the parting, and Elijah asks what he may do for him. Elisha asks to inherit a double share of Elijah’s spirit. Elijah tells Elisha that if he sees the parting, if he can stay present and watch as Elijah is taken from him, his wish will be granted to him.

Sarah, Loren, Steve, David, Helen and Aaron, you did amazing, amazing work these last few weeks. You were fully present to this journey and you saw the parting. Susan, Sarah, Kate, Sam, Sally and Robert—beloved brothers, Leland, Cooper, and Ellison and your wives...you, too, came and were present to this journey.
Friends gathered here and beloved St. Luke's community, you all have walked this journey faithfully with our brother Loren. You have done what is so hard to do in our culture, you have been with your brother as he made his way to death and crossed over into the life beyond.

We have all walked holy ground. And dear friends, you, every one of you, have received a double share of Loren's spirit. He lives and breathes in you now. His wisdom has now been poured into you. His curiosity and generosity and integrity are now yours to claim. The mantle has been passed; it is now yours to pick up that you may walk gently on this earth, looking always for divides to be bridged, looking always for where a greater wholeness lies.

Loren said, "Love is a renewable resource." The scripture says, "Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus," and nothing can separate us from the love that binds us to Loren—that bond is both eternal and is as close as our heart. This love is indeed renewable every morning; it is this love that will quicken our hearts, as the dew falls, and the mist rises, and our feet hit the trail knowing that Loren will always be one step ahead of us, showing us the way.
Amen.

The Rev. Cynthia K. R. Banks
St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Boone, NC
January 17, 2009